For the past few weeks, I have been writing about influence. When you read the words #InfluenceDetroit, it's natural that questions would be raised. Hopefully, I've been answering some of those questions here, along the way. I'd like to take the 'influence' topic a little further.

Perhaps it is best that I tell you about a recent thing that our community just celebrated. Seven years ago, several individuals partnered with us so that we could purchase the abandoned Tracy Macgregor Elementary School. Since then, no fewer that 50 individuals, corporations, and foundations have donated time, talent, and resources that ultimately resulted in the opening of a state of art Early Childhood Education center for the families of the Regent Park Community.

All of those who supported us saw something! Perhaps that 'something' was simply a great need; a huge deficit that they could help alleviate. In the beginning, our partners could not have had anything more than great faith to give at those early stages. Today, they can say, along with so many others, “look what God has done”.

Partnerships of all types and sizes - that’s what has made this opening possible. A lot of hard work has been done. Work like this excited our partners and our community, because for both, it shows that Lifebuilders is about far more than restoring houses. The opening of this center is all about people! It's about children… it's about FAMILIES!

So much is in store for 2019. As you begin to set your mind toward new resolutions, this might be a great opportunity to consider how much you will partner with (or partner more with) LifeBUILDERS this coming year?